Travis Scott's 'Astroworld' is a musical amusement park ride [REVIEW]

Travis Scott, Astroworld, musical, amusement park

Astroworld is Travis Scott’s musical assortment of amusement park rides, taking listeners on a topsy-turvy rocket ship that lands this album in rarefied air.

Astroworld is a 17 track album, logging approximately an hour of listening time with 16 different features surgically mixed into each song.

This album exemplifies Travis Scott’s unpredictable style as an artist and with the variation in his arrangements, along with his textbook beat changes; this project is a roller-coaster that takes you on a journey.

And after 500,000+ units sold, his album netted the second largest debut in week one on the charts, making his album certified gold—his third album to do so.

Travis Scott opens up his album with “Stargazing” in an alien-like aerial beat, ushering in Travis and his homage to fellow Houston, Texas rapper Big Moe and his track “Barre Baby.”

“Sippin’ on purp, feelin’ like the Barb Baby (It’s lit)/ Whatever I downed, it got me goin’ crazy (yah).”

This track also features the first of the Houston rapper mentioning his daughter, Stormi, who he attributes his abstinence from lean.

“I was always high up on the lean (yeah, yeah)/ Then this girl came here to save my life/ Lookup to the sky, down on my knees (straight up)/ Out of nowhere, you came to stay the night.”

Then the beat switches up around the 2:13 mark, creating a Segway with shaky static, a pause and a swift takeoff for the layout of the rest of the album.

After the intro, the album really begins to take its shape and in certain sections, the songs flow into one another.

But there are three songs that are the highlights of Travis’ album. "Sicko Mode," "Carousel" and "R.I.P Screw" all bang from start to finish.

"Carousel" opens with the Dallas-based rapper Big Tuck hyping up Astroworld, but as he ends his rant, you here a sample of his song “Not A Stain On Me” which acts as the echo of the beat for this track.

The “oooh ooooh” reverberating the beat as Travis Scott grinds the beat with the occasional (Alright…It’s Lit) ad-lib, makes this track a signature Travis Scott song.

Then having Frank Ocean come in at the 1:11 mark, created the one-two punch for the song.

"Sicko Mode" is probably the best song on the album and Carousel sneaks up on Sicko Mode by flowing right into a Drake intro that immediately switches up after “Gone on you with the pick and roll/Young La Flame, he in sicko mode.”

This song is once again an example of Travis Scott at his best as an artist. He opens with a Drake intro then shifts the entire momentum of the song, introducing Notorious B.I.G., Uncle Luke and Big Hawk samples with a hint of Swae Lee popping in with a “Someone said,” creating this Voltron soup of musical Peanut butter and Jelly. The execution of combining three separate parts coherently while attaching separate ab-libs to the bar is masterful.

Then there’s "R.I.P Screw," which takes on a swirling vibe of its own. The song is a dedication to DJ Screw who Travis Scott has referenced as an inspiration. And for this track, Travis mirrored some of the dreamy elements of DJ Screw’s chopped and screwed-type style.

“Rest in peace Screw, tonight we take it slowly.”

The beginning of the song involves a combination of Swae Lee, DJ Screw and Travis Scott that skates a constant scat beat, riding underneath a chopped and screwed-like ab-lib sequence.

Travis also takes a sample from a 1998 interview from ABC about DJ Screw and the rise of “chopped and screwed” hip-hop—sprinkling it through the album.

This song has a droopy, yet relaxed vibe, but also takes the listener on a ride, coaxing them musically.

In all honesty, this album is a masterpiece. It’s difficult to just select four songs off this album, especially when the songs flow seamlessly into one another.

Astroworld is a rocket that never lands, giving way to a mercurial vibe.

I'd give this album a 9 out of 10.

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